The medical ultrasonic probe, electrically connected to a system of a medical ultrasonic image diagnotor for producing an image by making a direct scanning of a human body intended to observe, is also called in general as a medical ultrasonic transducer or a medical ultrasonic probe.
In the medical ultrasonic probes which are essential elements for the medical ultrasonic image diagnotors, depending on the image the ultrasonic probe can produce, there are 2 dimensional image ultrasonic probes which can produce 2 dimensional sectional images, 3 dimensional image ultrasonic probes which can produce 3 dimensional images, and 4 dimensional image ultrasonic probes which can produce 3 dimensional real-time live action images which are in general defined as 4 dimensional images.
In the field of art the present invention is related thereto, there have been active researches and developments of 4 dimensional image ultrasonic probes which enable to make a real time observation of a live action image, such as motion of an unborn child, by a know method in which one dimensional array of acoustic elements each for making direct reception/transmission of an acoustic signal swing around a shaft of the one dimensional array, to obtain the 4 dimensional image.
As examples of known arts for producing the 4 dimensional image by the method in which the acoustic elements swing around the shaft of the one dimensional array of the acoustic elements, there are an ultrasonic probe for producing a real time three dimensional live action image (Korea Patent Registration No. 455606) in which the acoustic elements swing around the shaft of the acoustic element array by a power transmitted thereto from an upright motor through power transmission means, such as pulleys and wires, an image diagnosis sector probe (Korea Patent Registration No. 393354) in which the acoustic elements swing around the shaft of the acoustic element array by a power transmitted thereto from an upright motor through power transmission means, such as gears, and an European Patent (EP 1,208,800A2) in which the swing of a transducer is controlled by a belt that is connected between a motor shaft and a driving shaft of the transducer.